


Anti-Fragile

by LexiRayne2187



Category: A Wrinkle in Time (2018), Logan Lucky (2017), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clyde's POV, Depression, Enthusiastic Consent, Erectile Dysfunction, F/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Porn with Feelings, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Self-Hatred, Unreliable Narrator (Clyde), if you wanted me to write a shorter story then you should have chosen Hop on Pop, imperfect characters, thirsty!rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:35:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29727042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexiRayne2187/pseuds/LexiRayne2187
Summary: Clyde, Mellie, and Rey embark on an adventure through time and space to save Jimmy from the evil of encroaching darkness.  Romance sparks between Clyde and Rey, but can they overcome the darkness and learn to love and accept themselves in order to do the same for each other?
Relationships: Clyde Logan & Mellie Logan & Rey (Star Wars), Clyde Logan/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10
Collections: Clyde Loves Books Fic Exchange, House Dadam, House Dadam Miscellaneous, House Dadam's Fic Collection, The 50 Shades of Rey





	Anti-Fragile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ev3rMichelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ev3rMichelle/gifts).



> Created for Lala’s [Clyde Loves Books Fic Exchange](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ClydeLovesBooks). A gift for [Michelle](https://twitter.com/Ev3rMichelle) based on her prompt, _A Wrinkle in Time_ by Madeleine L’Engle. I bought the book as soon as I heard and couldn’t put it down until I finished!
> 
> Special thank you to my beta(s) [Ali](https://twitter.com/AliReads2Much), [antlersantlers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/antlersantlers/pseuds/antlersantlers), [Cheshire_Smile](https://twitter.com/Cheshire_Smil3), [Everren](https://twitter.com/everren327), [holly](https://twitter.com/reylodaze), [Jade](https://twitter.com/jadedwarrior5), [MotherofScavengers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherofScavengers), and [Summer](https://twitter.com/dyadinbloom). Shout out to [Love_andbalance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_andbalance/pseuds/Love_andbalance), [TristenCrone](https://twitter.com/TristenCrone), and Reylo Creatives for their feedback and unending support!
> 
> Detailed author’s notes about the tags and triggers are included in the end notes for clarity and include spoilers. The first chapter is in explicit and implied past continuous/past progressive tense and is “used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific point in the past” ([reference](https://ginsengenglish.com/blog/past-continuous)). Please note that I took many liberties in world-building and character development; some people, places and things may be entirely unrecognizable. Please mind the tags and don’t hesitate to contact me if I missed anything!
> 
> The concept of “anti-fragile” was borrowed from _Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder_ by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I highly recommend both this book and _A Wrinkle in Time_! Manip credit belongs to [danica](https://twitter.com/driverssaber).

[ ](https://twitter.com/LexiRayne2187)

“...be okay…”

“...fine…where are we…”

Clyde wasn’t recognizing the voices, sounding so far away. 

Numb. Everything was numb as if he wasn’t awake or really there. With concerted effort, he reached out his mind to deadened limbs. No use, he was trapped in a physical shell. A shell that had shattered and been haphazardly glued back together crooked. The seams mismatched and jagged, making even the concept of breathing all but impossible. 

“...you’d think he’d have a stronger constitution...” 

The words were followed by a loud slap.

“Shut up! How’d you get here anyway? How did we? Where are we?”

Mellie, he registered, that was Mellie speaking.

A prickling started in his fingers. Wait, did he have back both his hands? Desperation clawed at his chest, he needed to open his eyes to see. He had to know. Was he finally whole again? Could he finally be the man he was supposed to be?

“I think he’s coming around!”

He thought back to how he ended up here…

***

It was the kind of day that was never-ending. 

Clyde woke up that morning, inherently knowing everything was going to be a shitshow. And, from losing the book he was about to finish somewhere between home and the bar to missing dinner on account of an ill-timed delivery, he wasn’t wrong. All he wanted was to curl up alone in the silence of his bedroom and sleep for the next week—just let the world pass by until he felt ready to face it again. 

It didn’t help that he was still sore from his brother’s parting advice during the impromptu celebration a couple days ago. Jimmy’s meddling had effectively ceased the budding flirtation between him and Sarah, an interested stranger passing through town that showed him an unusual amount of attention. He knew he had to stay vigilant; he was a grown-ass man, and Jimmy didn’t need to keep reminding him of common sense. 

Well, he was  _ most  _ of a man. He glared down at the unnatural gleam of contorted metal and chrome. It was a poor substitute for his left hand and lower forearm and a constant reminder that he was  _ less than _ . But he’d always been less than, could never stack up against the legacy of his brother. Hell, he never could’ve just fit in like everybody else. Literally, he was too big and mean-looking to be  _ normal _ . 

Hunching his shoulders in annoyance, he thought about how long it had been since his last romantic relationship. It had been years since he’d been intimate with a woman. Of course, he’d had the teenage fumblings in the cab of his truck, lost his virginity to a fickle and less-than-committed high school sweetheart. Then he shipped out, completed boot camp and two tours, only to return broken and mangled. 

When he first got back, he was plagued with irrational guilt for surviving when so many hadn’t. For it, he was prescribed a plethora of meds and still couldn’t sleep at night. Any mundane sounds or flashing lights had him back in the desert, fear and adrenaline pushing him to duck behind the first available barrier and wait out the barrage that wasn’t there. Adding to his shame, his dick stopped working like a normal man’s—even off the meds for the past year, he couldn’t get it up, and if he could, then he couldn’t stay hard. 

It had been quite a number of years he’d gone without, and it seemed like the universe was telling him he wasn’t meant for that kind of happiness, whether something temporary like a fling with Sarah or something more permanent like he really desired. 

The ruminations were swirling in his mind, making his vision go red.

“So, where’s that Jimmy boy at?” 

Clyde’s head shot up at the interruption. An elderly man made himself comfortable at the bar, clambering gracelessly onto a high stool. 

Despite his simmering aggravation, Clyde waited dutifully for the newcomer to get situated before asking, “What can I get’cha?” He wasn’t inclined to have yet another conversation about the awe-inspiring greatness that was Jimmy Logan, especially with a stranger, but manners dictated he hastily tack on, “haven’t heard from Jimmy in a minute.”

The old bastard clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest. “Hopefully, it’s not the Logan Family Curse.” 

Clyde’s eyes narrowed. It was a small community with an active gossip mill, but it didn’t seem right the way everyone liked to poke fun at him, the middle Logan child with his  _ crazy ideas _ always being judged.

“Pour me a shot of some of that fine whiskey. And add one for yourself while you’re at it!” 

Clyde shrugged off the unwelcome thoughts and went to work pouring the drinks, jaw tight.

Too soon, the screwy patron offered, “Name’s Bernie, by the way.”

“Clyde,” he listlessly supplied.

[ ](https://twitter.com/driverssaber)

Bernie didn’t remove his cumbersome gloves when he tossed back his shot. Wiping his mouth, he held Clyde’s stare. “You should probably check on him, your brother,” he clarified. “You never know.”

Clyde sighed, internally on the verge of a conniption fit. Instead of having a tantrum like a child, he grumbled, “I’m sure he’s alright.” 

Not hearing from Jimmy in two days was hardly an unheard-of occurrence. His brother could be goddamn inconsiderate on the best of days. It was a mutinous thought, but no less true.

“Always listen to your gut—can’t go wrong if you follow your gut!”

Their eyes met, and the feeling that he was being scrutinized overwhelmed Clyde. 

The stranger was intruding on his private life. He didn’t like it, but Clyde wasn’t of a mind to get into a disagreement with him on the matter—anything to put an end to the queer and unnerving conversation. 

Hell’s bells, maybe he’d take the advice. At the very least, Jimmy usually left a message with Mellie at the salon if he was liable to skip town, so there was no harm in checking in with her, even if they had all been together only a couple days ago. 

With that reasoning, Clyde was convinced to contact Mellie. Not that he intended to inform the interloping Bernie of his new plans.

The next evening, Mellie met Clyde at the trailer. She relayed that Jimmy had taken a contract job with some sort of think tank outside town and closer to his daughter, Sadie. The details Mellie provided were worryingly vague. Anxiety settled heavily in Clyde’s chest, an irrational fear coldly creeping up his spine. What was Jimmy thinking, taking a suspicious job immediately after deterring Clyde from pursuing an amorous liaison with Sarah?

It could be that Jimmy really was watching out for his little brother, keeping him safe from outsiders. Or maybe Jimmy believed Clyde was inadequate for intimacy, too. Clyde grit his teeth. He knew it was illogical when his fear for Jimmy’s well-being mixed with his anger over his brother’s selfish behavior; Clyde resented the way Jimmy controlled his life. 

Warring with a quagmire of negative emotions, Clyde felt an all-consuming compulsion to go for a walk. Something deep inside him that couldn’t be ignored needed him to move, to get outside, to travel with no destination in mind. Mellie agreed to accompany him, sharing his wanderlust and all too eager to get out of the confines of their childhood home. 

He marched his way into the surrounding woods and passed the property line with Mellie trailing behind at a distance. The rushing of his overwrought feelings were propelling his feet forward. It felt good, crashing through the trees and brush, letting out his frustrations on the landscape. Dusk fell quickly, but he wasn’t disposed to care. He hardly even noticed when Mellie veered away from his path.

“Oh, hello.” The dulcet tones of a feminine voice broke through his destructive brooding.

Startled, he found himself in a clearing, mere feet from a gorgeous woman. She was dressed casually and wore her hair down, locks curling to frame her face, a beatific smile on her rosy lips.

Clyde swallowed thickly. “Um, hi.” He cleared his throat, embarrassed by his ineloquence. Fuck, he really was as dumb as everyone said.

“Clyde? Clyde Logan, right?” she asked, striding towards him. “You probably don’t remember me. We went to school together. Well, I was a few years behind, but I kinda knew Mellie. In passing, mostly.”

“What?” He could only stare when she extended her hand. 

His reaction drew a tinkling giggle from her throat. “I’m Rey,” she said, confidently reaching to grab his right hand for a hearty shake.

Clyde quickly hid his left arm behind his back and angled his body away from her. Her hand stayed in his, even after the greeting, as she seemed to survey the area. Certain his palm would start sweating at any second, Clyde swiftly withdrew from her touch. Worried he may have offended her, his eyes searched her face. Instead of looking upset, her grin grew larger, and she made no comment about his awkward behavior.

And not once did her gaze linger on his prosthesis, like she was unfazed by the significance of that missing part of him.

She must have recognized the doubt and confusion in his eyes because she tried elaborating. “Oh, we’ve never officially met! I just recognize you. It’s probably best we didn’t meet until now. It feels right, you know? Like this is how we’re supposed to meet.”

He didn’t know how to process her statement but was surprised to hear himself mutter, “Yes.” In fact, he knew of her prior to now but couldn’t immediately place her.

Rey’s gaze turned sultry and traveled slowly down his body. “You look good. Great, in fact.” Her eyes darted back up to connect with his. “Honestly, you’re downright sinful. You should be illegal, walking around like that.”

A tingling erupted low in his belly, and he hoped the furious red of his ears was covered by his hair as he shifted on his feet. 

“Thanks,” he responded, the word sounding more like a question.

“What are you doing out here, anyway? Besides making dreams come true, that is.” She winked at him playfully, and he felt a tightening in his groin. Clyde thought this all had to be in his imagination and internally chastised his traitorous cock; women like Rey didn’t pay him that kind of attention.

Suddenly, Mellie burst through the trees and shouted, “Didya see the dog?”

The pair shared a dumbfounded look before glancing around. There was no dog to be found. 

Mellie shrugged dismissively. “Guess it went.” She extended her hand to Rey and introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Mellie. Didn’t we use to hang out behind the bleachers during games? What’re you doing out here?”

Rey nodded enthusiastically and explained having a gut feeling, an undeniable need that urged her to go for a walk in the woods. Mellie smirked, eyes flashing between Clyde and Rey, as the two women swapped a few shared memories, recounting the ways they’d avoided the mean girls in high school. Clyde watched them closely, hanging on Rey’s every word, but...

That’s when Clyde noticed the surrounding silence, and he couldn’t be bothered to continue following along with the reminiscing of past acquaintances. Something was  _ off _ —he could feel it in the atmosphere. The woods were eerily still, no animals traipsing and no leaves rustling. Not even the drone of cicadas accompanied the nightfall. 

“ _ Cauliflower _ …”

His heart dropped into his stomach, had he really heard—

“Cauliflower...”

Clyde reached out both arms, his right hand clutching Rey’s elbow and his prosthesis pressing uselessly into Mellie’s back. 

“Did you hear that?” he asked with trepidation in his voice.

Apparently, the two women were deaf to the call for help. Mellie’s brow was furrowed in concern for Clyde while Rey peered around, trying to locate the mysterious noise he claimed to have heard. His fingers were tugging on Rey’s elbow while his lifeless arm tried to steer Mellie, hoping to pull them away from any danger. If they couldn’t hear it, then they wouldn’t know when it was coming.

“Cauliflower!” bellowed Jimmy’s disembodied voice, booming loudly enough to make Clyde’s ears ache.

Abruptly, the world fell out from beneath his feet. His skin was buzzing like the stinging of a thousand bees. The trees were melting before dissolving into an eternal emptiness, the blackness of the void so profound he was sure he’d never see colors again. Instantaneously, Clyde realized he no longer felt the touch of his companions, and panic was choking him as his body was wracked with all-encompassing, excruciating pain. 

He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound escaped. He wept in agony, but no tears fell. He was wishing for death until the pain folded in on itself, his body crushed into particles, and then he knew nothing.

***

Coming back into the present, he felt a delightful pressure massaging his right hand. It was soothing the aggravated nerve endings there with a warm, deft touch. 

Now, as though his body had fallen asleep, he was engulfed in the bite of icy flames spreading everywhere. This was something so much more and entirely unlike the phantom pains he’d experienced in the past. The sheer scope and severity of it was threatening his sanity. Eyes soldered shut, he wanted to thank the benevolent deity that showed him a measure of mercy in at least tamping down the throbbing ache in his one good hand.

“Clyde? Come on, big bear. Come back to us,” a feminine voice was beseeching.

Eyelids like sandpaper fluttered, endeavoring to open as he fought to reach the source of the voice. Whether or not he was whole, it didn’t matter. He needed to offer thanks for the kindness being showered on him; he wanted to connect with the compassionate being. He wouldn’t fail at this one thing; he was determined. He’d sing praises to the virtue of this goddess. 

A gurgling keen ripped from his throat, and suddenly he was no longer outside himself or trapped within. His body was his again and, fuck, did it smart like almighty hell!

“That’s it. Breathe. Mellie’s here. I’m here.”

Muscles were finally back under his tenuous control, he turned his head to proclaim his gratitude. Sadly, he only babbled out a few slurred syllables before he attempted to open his eyes again. When he was successful, the light that invaded his pupils had his head pounding. It was worth it, however, as an angel smiled down at him, her eyes shining in the light. 

“Clyde!”

His head lolled to the other side. Mellie knelt there, clutching his prosthesis. It was like seeing her for the first time, his fearless little sister with a tear escaping down her cheek. 

What had happened? Had he only just returned? The IED—he vividly recalled the explosion in his mind’s eye. The violence of an internal bombardment crashed through him, had him struggling to roll away from her, but he could only flail helplessly between the two bodies trapping him. Sucking in a harsh breath, he felt his ears pop, and all fell quiet again.

“Would you get a grip? No one else had a problem with the tesser.”

Mellie hissed, “Joe, if you don’t shut the fuck up—”

“How many times do I have to tell ya? I ain’t J—”

“He’s gonna be just fine,” his angel’s soft voice intoned. “You watch. Clyde’s a fighter. He just needs a minute.” 

“Minutes,” huffed the male voice above, “y’all always measuring time like it’s gonna go cattywampus. Minutes are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.”

Clyde turned his glassy-eyed stare on his fingers laced in the comforting embrace of his angel’s. 

“Yeah, time’s linear, no matter what cockamamy bullshit y’all like to tell yourselves,” the man continued. “You’re always keepin’ track of the wrong thing. Time always moves forward, just at different paces.”

“You’re so fulla shit, I’m surprised your eyes aren’t brown,” Mellie seethed from beside Clyde’s prone mass.

The divine beauty rolled her eyes at Clyde like they were sharing an inside joke, and his chest inexplicably warmed. 

Rey, she was Rey. He was remembering her now. Hell, he remembered her from long ago, before he ever knew her name. He’d watched her abscond with Mellie under the bleachers with illicit cigarettes, never quite working up the courage to introduce himself. It hadn’t been his place then, and opportunity had never struck. But, it seemed she may have noticed him too... Fat chance of that!

Rey turned to look up at the supposedly-not-Joe and questioned, “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

Clyde, feeling a bit more like himself, was peering up at the false visage. The similarity between the imposter and the real Joe Bang was uncanny. 

Joe’s likeness sighed heavily and explained, “I only took this form so y’all’d be less bothered, for all the good it’s done. Seems like them porch lights are on, but no one’s home.”

“Watch it, or I’ll slap you to sleep, then slap you for sleeping!” Mellie retorted angrily.

Not-Joe raised his hands in supplication. “Look, y’all musta tessered here fer a reason, even if you don’t know what it is yet. You’re on Naboo.” He was scratching the scruff of his jaw in contemplation before he added, “It’s a planet, not in your galaxy. Reckon you won’t be able to pronounce mah real name, so just call me MR Joe. My brothers went off like a herd’a turtles, but they’ll be back soon ‘nuff.”

Mellie cocked an eyebrow. “Your brothers?”

“Don’t rightly know what else to call them. Y’all come from a place where if anyone had an idea, it’d die of loneliness.”

Rey giggled uncomfortably at the insult and the absurdity of MR Joe’s claims as Mellie lobbed back, “You couldn’t pour the piss out a boot with instructions written on the heel.”

“T-Tessered?” Clyde forced out of a sore throat as he attempted to sit upright.

Mellie and Rey quickly came to his aid, sliding their arms around his back to prop him up. He slung his left arm heavily over Mellie’s shoulders as Rey braced his back, curling snuggly into his side. If he’d had enough dignity, he would’ve blushed at the embrace. Mellie chuckled under her breath and was shooting Rey a shit-eating grin before the woman returned a secret smile, both communicating with each other without words. 

Clyde returned his focus to MR Joe. “What’s a-a tesser?”

MR Joe was rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, obviously unamused by their ignorance. “Like I was sayin’, time is linear but has to be measured at different paces. You know how sometimes seconds feel like hours or hours feel like minutes? It’s like that.” The trio was exchanging looks of confusion, making MR Joe grit out, “What’s cyclical, what  _ paces  _ time and makes it seem like it isn’t going forward, is  _ space _ .”

Rey shook her head, mumbling, “Space?”

“ _ In your time _

_ The innocence will fall away _ ” 

“Well, if you ain’t a sight for sore eyes! This is my brother, MR Fish.” MR Joe ran to clap an enthusiastic hand on his brother’s back. “And this here is MR Sam,” he introduced with a flourish.

Mellie stood to greet the newcomers, allowing Rey to take the brunt of Clyde’s weight. This time he did flush as he felt the hardened nipples of her pert tits pressing into his broad side. He accidentally locked eyes with her, she winked coyly, and he couldn’t help the lopsided grin that unfurled on his face. The minx was gonna do him in before his time; he was sure of it and none too displeased by the idea.

“ _ In your time _

_ The mission bells will toll _

_ All along _

_ The corridors and river beds _

_ There’ll be sign _

_ In your time _ ”

“What the hell?” Mellie muttered without diplomacy.

“Bob Seger,” both Clyde and Rey voiced at the same time, eyes connecting again.

MR Joe shrugged while MR Sam explained, “MR Fish is tired, gotta use lyrics to talk. Conserves his energy.”

“They don’t need  _ all _ the explanations,” MR Joe grumbled. “Probably won’t get it in any case.”

Mellie glared before turning to MR Sam. “What did he mean?”

MR Sam was chewing on his inner cheek ponderously. “Just wants you to keep it all in perspective. I know you wouldn’t be here without reason…” He was staring at them intently as he trailed off.

“Jimmy,” Clyde whispered. He cleared his throat and began again. “I heard Jimmy; he needs help.”

Mellie was startled at the revelation. “How do you know that? When did you hear from Jimmy?”

“You mean your older brother?” inquired Rey.

“Yeah, state champion. You have to remember him, Rey, even if you weren’t his biggest fan.” Mellie replied with eyebrows wiggling. 

Becoming somber once more, she rounded on Clyde, “Seriously, you called me asking ‘bout Jimmy. When did he tell you he was in trouble?”

“ _ By design _

_ In your time _ ”

“Put a sock in it, will ya? They ain’t gonna get it.” MR Joe kicked at the ground in frustration.

“MR Fish is only helping, as he should,” MR Sam preached. “We should all be committed to spreading the Light.”

Clyde ignored MRs Bang and instead was focusing on Mellie. “He screamed ‘cauliflower’ before we- before we tessered.”

“ _ Feel the wind _

_ And set yourself the bolder course _ ”

Mellie was ignoring MR Fish, lips pursed in a moment’s contemplation. “He needs us,” she stated definitively. Curtly turning on her heel, she stomped to MRs Bang. “Where’s Jimmy at? You tell me right now!”

MR Sam nodded sagely, “We’ll do what we can to help. MR Joe, you should show them.”

“Show us what?” Rey queried, her tone colored with equal parts intrigue and worry.

MR Joe extended his hand to Clyde. Clyde eyed the gesture warily. He really didn’t know what was going on or what to think but, come hell or high water, he intended to find out. Feeling the resolve settle into his brittle bones, he dislodged from Rey’s hold and heaved himself onto shaky feet with MR Joe’s reluctant assistance. Rey rushed to his side, at the ready to help steady him, but she let him find his legs on his own.

“ _ And after all _

_ The dead ends and the lessons learned _

_ After all _

_ The stars have turned to stone _

_ There’ll be peace _ ”

Mellie approached the pair and hooked her arm through Clyde’s, probably feeling the weight of MR Fish’s lyrics. “What’s that now?”

“You folded space to end up here at this specific time, an uncertain time fraught with unhappy things,” MR Sam affirmed.

“ _ Across the great unbroken void _

_ All benign _

_ In your time _ ”

MR Sam was smiling when he bent down to pluck three flowers, handing one to each traveler. They grasped them with different levels of unease, completely baffled. He instructed them to keep them close, save them for when the time was right.

“Unhappy things?” Rey probed lamely. MRs Bang shared a knowing and deeply unsettling glance.

Mellie interjected, “What do you mean  _ we _ folded space or whatever? I, for one, didn’t do this. Don’t piss down my back ‘n tell me it’s rainin’!” Her eyes and tone accusatory, she stood her ground.

MR Joe sighed again. “ _ You  _ tessered,  _ you  _ folded space to end up in  _ this  _ time; it doesn’t  _ just  _ happen. Take a looksee ‘round, hellcat. This  _ look  _ like Earth to ya?” he chided petulantly and was spreading his arms to emphasize his point.

Clyde followed MR Joe’s command, stunned by the sight that befell him. Uncaring that the fragile flower was wilting in his white-knuckled fist, he was frozen and gawking. The company stood in a lush field of swaying turquoise grass, the wind sweeping a fresh but unfamiliar fragrance across their forms. Almost too saccharine on his tongue, yet immensely satisfying to the palette. As he rolled the flavor of the air in his mouth, he spotted a creature soaring high above them in the seafoam green sky.

He followed the creature’s descent as it landed on a monumental cliff that cut smoothly into rolling mountains. The peaks seemed to race past clouds playfully in generous curves and outcroppings, only to touch the twinkling stars beyond. That’s when he noticed the waterfall, the water flowing against gravity and upwards over the undulating divots in the rock. Blinking rapidly, he heard the echoing and ethereal calls from an incoming flock as they met in a cohort near an almost imperceptible cave.

“This makes ‘bout as much sense as tits on a bull,” Clyde breathed.

Gobsmacked, Rey was nodding in agreement. “Nothing to do but go along with it, I think.”

“For Jimmy’s sake,” affirmed Mellie. She was shaking her head as though to clear it, then spat out over a shoulder, “But I still don’t know ‘bout this no-legged dog, MR Joe.”

Under his breath, MR Joe grumbled, “Could start an argument in an empty house,” then more loudly, “You’re all here for a reason. You were compelled to be here right now. The only way you could tesser is with a purpose. ‘S what MR Sam keeps flapping his gums about. I don’t rightly know why, but it seems y’all already know that much. We can help you find Jimmy.”

MR Fish and MR Sam were stepping forward and giving graceless bows to back up MR Joe. MR Sam reminded them to save the flowers. Clyde tucked his into his shirt’s breast pocket, Mellie secured hers to her tank top with a strong hair clip. Rey waited for Clyde to look at her before she was pulling her shirt away from her breasts and fitting the flower inside the lacey cup of her bra. He swallowed heavily and diverted his eyes to stop himself from leering as Mellie chuckled.

MR Joe rolled his eyes before directing them to a neighboring crystal clear lake that was dotted with enormous beasts grazing on a veritable feast of immaculate grasses. The group made steady progress to the area, only slowed by Clyde, who was still recovering from the impromptu journey. His temper was rising at yet again being a burden. The rotund animals proceeded to munch serenely on the surrounding foliage, unphased by the goings-on around them, including Clyde’s lumbering and sour disposition. 

“So, what are the MRs anyway?” Clyde asked out the side of his mouth, hoping for some degree of stealth.

“Dunno, aliens, I suspect,” Mellie responded calmly, always taking the bull by the horns and too damn self-assured for her own good sometimes. 

Clyde frowned. “Don’t much like our prospects... if this is even real.”

“ _ You’ll be fine _

_ In your time _ ”

“Yeah, yeah, we heard ya the first time MR Fish,” Mellie admonished.

Rey was nudging Clyde and grinning at Mellie. “Try to think of it like an adventure. Always wanted to go on an adventure far, far away from everything...” Her sentence fizzled out as her mind was wandering to unknown places. After a moment, she quizzed with a tight smile, “And, real or not, we came here to help Jimmy, right?”

She looked up at them, and the siblings nodded. Clyde eyed her inquisitively, made curious by her unconscious confession. What was she trying to get away from?

When they reached the herd, MR Joe clapped his hands gaily as MR Sam and MR Fish were dancing on their toes in excitement. “Alright, y’all, the shaaks are good for beginners.”

MR Sam added, “Not sentient, though, gotta be explicit when ya handle ‘em.”

“What in the Sam Hill is that supposta mean?” Clyde groused.

“ _ Ride out, lift your soul, lift your spirit _

_ Take a chance and get near it _ ”

Mellie treaded carefully to a beast at the water’s edge. Tentatively reaching out a hand, she touched a velvety flank. The shaak quivered at the contact but merely lifted its head to swallow a big mouthful of macerated greenery before returning to its snack. 

“ _ Everybody needs a dream _ ”

Rey barked an excited laugh and skipped to another beast, imitating Mellie’s actions and cooing to the creature. Clyde was more than put out. Even before losing an essential part of himself, he’d never mastered riding, and now he had to bareback an alien lifeform on a suspicious planet in a galaxy who-knows-where. Not to mention how weak he felt after being ripped apart by time or space or whatever. 

Life was just a continuous ball-buster, always taking. 

Another gleeful shout had him looking over to see Rey and Mellie already mounted on the creatures. Even if he thought for a split-second that he could  _ maybe  _ make something happen with Rey, she was far and above his league. She deserved more than a broken man with nothing to offer, all newly acquired wealth aside. In any case, he didn’t think she’d be the type to be taken in by the frailty of shiny trinkets.

“ _ Ride out, mix the real and imagined _

_ With the lost and abandoned _

_ And bring it to a boil _ ”

Clyde’s attention was drawn down to MR Fish, who was standing stoically beside him. Despite his companion’s diminutive stature, especially when compared to Clyde’s, MR Fish’s words resonated with enormous power and authority.

“ _ It takes your breath away _

_ The way we pay and pay and pay an _ —”

“Preaching to the goddamn choir,” Clyde interrupted irritably. “Now how’d you expect me to get up on one-ah them?”

“ _ From the sword of the crusader to the missionary spin _

_ From the atom of creation to the secrets deep within _

_ Illusions and delusions lead us where we shouldn't go _

_ Time to disconnect from clutter, time to hit the road _ ”

Jaw clenched, Clyde growled menacingly at MR Fish. His anger got the better of him as he snapped, “Well, I only got the one arm! Not like I can do this anyhow,” his voice cracked at the end with a resigned despair.

His eyes were burning, and the chance that he was breaking down in front of a no-account stranger fed his resentment. He was furious with himself and the situation; he was confused with what may be happening to Jimmy, where they all were, and how any of this could be real. Hate, he damn well hated all of it. Most of all, he hated himself.

MR Fish poked him in the shoulder to get his attention.

“ _ Ride out to a bold new horizon _

_ Where the sun may be shinin' _

_ On a place you've never seen _ ”

Clyde sucked his teeth before countering, “Easier said than done.”

MR Sam appeared on his other side. “MR Fish has faith that you can communicate with the shaak.” He was considering his next words carefully, scratching the back of his head before alighting on the best way to express what needed to be said. “Send out your intentions. It’s an exchange.”

Clyde was at a loss. What was he supposed to do, talk to the thing? How could it even understand him? If the MRs had trouble communicating in English, then what chance did  _ he  _ have speaking to a glorified space cow? 

On the backs of their respective steeds, Mellie and Rey trotted over to where he was standing and stewing. Clyde could hardly blame them for being capable of doing something he couldn’t; it was  _ his  _ failing, not theirs. If only he wasn’t half a man, but he’d always been lacking even before losing his thrice-damned hand. Just add this to his list of shortcomings.

“Giddy up, kemosabe, we got places to be!” shouted MR Joe as he athletically leapt atop the shaak behind Rey.

MR Joe was not so subtly wrapping his arms around Rey and pulling her back into his chest, his chin rested on her shoulder. Mellie sneered but laughed when Rey flicked him squarely in the forehead and wiggled away from his groping. Clyde saw red. Not only was MR Joe making a move on a lady he was interested in, but the bastard also lacked even a modicum of manners. Mama Logan would’ve been infuriated to see that type of behavior.

“Damned egg-suckin’ dawg,” he snarled.

“Never said I was no gentleman,” MR Joe snarked back.

“Don’t give a mind to that snake in the grass. Get on up, Clyde!” Mellie encouraged.

Rey winked. “I can handle myself, but ‘preciate the concern all the same, Papa Bear.” Smiling broadly, she went on, “You got this, not a doubt in my mind.”

MR Sam knelt down and was clasping his hands together in a foothold, giving Clyde the extra momentum to lift his weight onto the back of the substantial beast. The effort of maintaining his balance in his seat left him panting, his body still overexerted from tessering. As he acclimated to his perch, the shaak became agitated and tossed its head wildly. It puttered uncoordinatedly on its stubby feet, trying to dislodge its newly acquired cargo.

Clyde’s eyes widened in alarm; his impotent left arm was even more of a hindrance. Instead, he was counterbalancing his weight by extending his arms to each side and parallel to the ground. Clenching his thighs and ass, he rolled his hips with the movements of the creature and kept his posture straight. He’d been to enough county fairs to know that much; he just needed to stay level.

Clyde bit down on his bottom lip and felt sweat break out on his brow. Why had it been so easy for Mellie and Rey? Fuck, he needed to keep his head on straight. This wasn’t the time to wallow in misery and dwell on the things he couldn't control. With renewed focus, he concentrated on his weight distribution, angling his toes up and forcing his heels towards the ground to stabilize his center of gravity. He could do this. Jimmy and the ladies needed him.

“ _ Ride out past the peaks and the mesas _

_ To the wide open spaces _

_ You may never see again _ ”

As the shaak was finally calming down, Clyde heard MR Joe holler, “That’s it, ‘bout damn time, too!”

He looked up to see Rey was elbowing MR Joe in the gut, but her eyes were trained on him the whole time. “Looking good. I really like the way you take charge. Very sexy.”

Clyde choked on nothing as Mellie chortled. “Give my brother a break, Rey. You’ll have him all to yourself later, I’m sure.”

MRs Sam and Fish plopped unceremoniously to the ground; they wouldn’t be venturing with the rest to glimpse what the trio needed to be shown. The trail ride was smooth, the shaaks following each other at a comfortable distance with Rey and MR Joe leading the charge. They were heading towards the cliff when Mellie came up beside Clyde.

“You like her?” she bluntly questioned.

Clyde internally cringed—always trust Mellie to push. She meant well, he knew that, but she could also be the burr under a saddle. Well-intentioned or not, he didn’t really want to discuss his love life, or lack thereof, with his sister. 

“Welp, she seems spry enough and happy tah comply. Kinda cute, but a bit thick ‘round the middle.” Mellie was giving him a sideways glance, probably catching on to his deflection. She probably knew he’d never judge a lady’s appearance or talk about her like she was chattel. But he also wanted to avoid her interrogation and coercion, so he went on, “To be frank, she’s spread out like a cold supper.”

Mellie sighed in exasperation. “Sweet baby Jesus, Clyde, we ain’t talkin’ ‘bout the damn whatchamacallit!”

“No need to get uppity,” he countered, “pulling yer leg.”

Her eyes softened when she said, “Just lookin’ out for ya, big bro.” He couldn’t meet her eyes when she went on, “You know Rey likes you, right? Like, she never looked twice at Jimmy. She used to ask after you.”

“Naw, Mellie, that was way back when. I- I’m different now. She don’t want no parta this,” he refuted, shaking his head.

She was trying to slap his arm none too gently but, thankfully, didn’t have the reach. Clyde chuckled at her effort.

“What’re y’all up to?” Rey’s voice carried over to the siblings playfully squabbling. 

“Don’t you worry your pretty lil head! Clyde was just telling me how—”

She was cut off when Clyde nudged her firmly in the knee with his boot. “Don’t,” he whispered, “please.”

Rey was looking back with a raised eyebrow, but before she could say another word, the shaaks began to pick up speed. Mellie hooted with joy and dug her heels into her mount, jettisoning past Clyde to overtake Rey and MR Joe. Clyde did his best to stay in the seat, coiling his limbs around its girth to secure himself to the lumbering beast. Their velocity was increasing exponentially as they headed straight for the foot of the cliff.

What in all the blue blazes was happening? They were going to crash head-on into the rockface! Instinctually, his body hunkered down, bracing for the impact, as his eyes closed. MR Joe ordered them to hang on tight cause he wouldn’t come back for any roadkill. The cadence of the full-on gallop felt almost like flying. Rey screamed, and Clyde was suddenly wishing he could accelerate faster to catch up to her.

Clyde forced his eyes open and peered up through the wind whipping mercilessly at his face. “I’ll be damned...”

Somehow, the bulbous beasts were running above the ground, gaining their footing in thin air. Clyde watched in wonder as the creatures seemed to manipulate the air around them, levitating but not quite. Rey screamed once again, this time in delight, as Mellie’s yeehaw echoed across the sky. Their enjoyment was infectious; Clyde hardly recognized the robust cowboy yell that ripped from his chest.

Up, up, and up they went, careening toward the apex. In no time at all, they were at the tippity top and sharing in raucous, uninhibited laughter. MR Joe grinned at Clyde before he was bidding them all to look up into the sky. At this altitude, above the clouds, the atmosphere was thinner, and the sight of unobstructed stars splashed over an endless ocean of deep azure left them in awe.

Clyde peeked over at Rey, spell-binding in the radiance of two moons. He memorized the moment, saved it in his mind, and turned to check on his sister. Mellie was basking in the surreal glow and flung her hands up in adulation. He promised himself he would keep this memory close to his heart. Real or not, this was something special.

“Use them flowers, now,” MR Joe said, breaking the haze of excitement. “It’s right over yonder. Just keep them flowers to yer nose and yer eyes between those stars.”

They did as bade, first retrieving the flowers and then gazes tasked with finding something that resided between the blinking stars. Clyde’s vision was blurring around the edges when he spotted something. Something that had his heart dropping into his gut and inciting a familiar cloying cold, abject fear and rage, filling his veins. Hurriedly, he inhaled the scent of his flower, the pollen tickling his nostrils, and he was thankful for the distraction.

In the ether, there existed a great spreading blackness. Its wiry tendrils looked serrated and sharp as they fluidly cut an indiscernible path in the vast expanse. Wicked was the only way to describe it, like an infectious disease or malignant tumor pillaging and destroying all in its wake. The brilliance of the surrounding stars waned and sputtered futilely before going out entirely. The blackness was horrid, and Clyde recognized the abomination’s design within himself.

“Make it stop,” Mellie whined. “MR Joe, we came here for Jimmy. Not this!”

Rey started to sob softly and Clyde used his shaak to herd them around, facing away from the blackness that blotted out the stars.

“It’s pure evil,” Clyde asserted. He knew this inherently with striking clarity that left him questioning what type of monster  _ he  _ was to know it so well.

MR Joe was looking at him with sympathy while he guided the women to inhale the flower’s fragrance for a faster recovery. “The Dark is more than that, don’t rightly know how to put it. Dem flowers should help stave off the madness.”

Clyde was slouching deeper, trying to shrink in on himself and rubbing the back of his neck. In a trembling voice, he asked, “It’s got Jimmy?”

All eyes on MR Joe, but all he could offer was an ineffectual shrug. Mellie glowered and asked to return. Everyone was seemingly grateful to escape the crippling corruption of the Dark. Rey’s tears slowed as they descended through the clouds, and Clyde felt as powerless as ever. In an attempt to cheer the party, Mellie begged them to race. Rey was all too eager to agree, and off they went. Clyde’s shaak, a social creature, joined in the game.

Meeting back up with the MRs Bang, the aliens offered an escort to the Happy Medium on Abafar where the trio may discover the missing Jimmy’s location and discern if he was held in the nefarious grip of the Dark. Though his energy was almost entirely depleted, Clyde readily accepted. The whole group joined hands in a circle before attempting to tesser.

Sure enough, Clyde found himself supine and shaking on the cold, unforgiving ground of yet another alien planet. Thankful that he hadn’t lost consciousness but still all too aware of his limitations, Clyde was feigning a stupor to avoid interacting with the others as he stared up into the wispy cotton candy clouds of a pink sky. 

MR Joe tsked, saying, “At this rate, you won’t be seeing your Jimmy till the cows come home.”

“It’s not everyday humans fold space, have some sympathy,” cautioned MR Sam.

Mellie pushed Clyde’s hair away from his forehead before standing, “Why aren’t we affected like him?”

“ _ Against the wind _

_ We were running against the wind _ ”

“All due respect, MR Fish, but I don’t think that song applies here,” Rey pointed out from her position crouched over Clyde, and he couldn’t help but silently agree with her.

MR Joe sighed and shuffled away as MR Sam sermonized in a droning holier-than-thou voice, “Places are more than just here, they’re there; in you and me, and all things. Time is fixed, but places are not.”

Clyde was lifting up onto his aching left elbow, hoping to distract the nerves and tendons from the residual screaming phantom pain that resided in a hand that no longer existed. The weight of Rey’s palm on his right shoulder had him glancing up, her smile strained.

Behind them, Mellie snubbed, “Bless your heart, you think you’re some kinda special carrying on like that.”

“ _ I’m older now but still running’ against the wind _

_ Well, I’m older now and still runnin’ _

_ Against the wind _ ”

Rey, helping Clyde to his feet, tried to make sense of what the MRs were saying, “Do you mean to say that sometimes we get stuck, like time passes but we ain’t moving with it?”

MR Fish kicked his heels and pulled a distraught MR Sam into a do-si-do. Mellie chortled balefully before patting Clyde on the back in solidarity and making her way past the straggling band to catch up to MR Joe. 

Rey squeezed Clyde's solid bicep and moved to help free MR Sam from MR Fish, the duo soon following in Mellie’s footsteps. Clyde stood there, gathering his bearings and thinking about everything that had transpired so far. Nothing really made a lick of sense, but it did at the same time. Was MR Fish inferring that he was trapped in the same place, that time was marching forward while he stagnated in the past?

“ _ Simplicity in everything _

_ In every single thing you say and do _

_ Don't get lost, in foggy stuff _

_ Stay on track and let it come to you _ ”

Clyde startled at MR Fish whispering the lyrics beside him. “But-but you just said—”

“ _ Keep your focus on your goal _

_ Use that iron-hard control _

_ Use your power and your speed _

_ Get exactly what you need _ ”

Abruptly, MR Fish was grabbing Clyde’s right hand and tugging him along on the path of the others. Clyde’s head was swimming with uncertainty, but he allowed himself to be dragged behind. Tripping over his clumsy feet, he surveyed the planet. They were heading towards an impossible catwalk of sedimentary rock held together and aloft by an unseen force. It was narrow and rugged, looking both impressive and unimposing all at once. MR Fish released Clyde to skip merrily across the yawning bridge.

“Just don’t look down and you’ll be alright!” Mellie shouted between cupped hands from across the divide.

He saw Rey elbow her discreetly before he did exactly what he was advised not to do. Christ on a cracker, the pit below was bottomless! He toed some loose gravel over the edge, hoping to get an idea of how far he’d have to fall to hit rock bottom and knowing that there was no telling and, most certainly, no hope of survival when he did.

“Suck it up, buttercup! Put on them big boy britches!” hollered MR Joe.

Clyde ignored him and shuffled closer to the center of the gangplank, a fitting comparison in his mind. With scattered praise and encouragement from the ladies, not to mention a few not so complimentary asides from MR Joe, Clyde very slowly padded his way across. Finally making it to the other side, he practically toppled into the arms of his sister and Rey. Mellie greeted him with a hug while Rey planted a sloppy kiss squarely on the corner of his mouth; crimson was splashing across his cheeks. 

From there, they speedily made their way inside the maw of a cave. Crystalized stalactites and stalagmites were decorating the inside and reflecting a kaleidoscope of rays in different hues of purple from an unseen light source, painting the color of their skin. Slippery vegetation was climbing up the stone, contrasting with sporadic veins of golden minerals lining the walls. The MRs Bang allowed the three humans a cursory perusal inside before they were ushering them through the entrance zone.

Bustling into the twilight zone, a noisome flatulent rent the air followed by unattractive hacking. 

“On mah break.”

Most of them were looking on in disgust as they spotted a lackadaisical figure leaning back in a makeshift chair carved into the rock with feet casually posted high on a flowstone. A cigarette was dangling perilously from between the person’s lips while he absentmindedly leafed through some sort of glossy magazine.

“Not a human, and ah’m finishing my butt. You can hold yer horses fer the next 10 minutes.”

“ _ Here I go _

_ Playing the star again _

_ There I go _

_ Turn the page _ ”

“Woe is you,” flippantly, he licked his thumb to flip a page, “take it up with the union.”

MR Sam coughed. “This is the Happy Med—”

“Just call me Earl, easier than a buncha hoity-toity titles n’ false pleasantries,” the Happy Medium—rather, Earl—said.

Clyde was fixing to explode like a powder keg, face remaining blank but for the minute twitch of her right eye. The group was waiting, MR Joe eyeing Earl with no small amount of disdain until the unmistakable sound of tinging glass coming from nowhere signaled the end of Earl’s  _ break _ . No one had the audacity to waste time questioning the mysterious happenings or the supposed  _ union  _ that scheduled Earl’s mandatory recess.

“What can I do you fer?” Earl asked, disposing of his reading material and standing to approach them.

“They’re looking for their brother,” MR Sam chimed in.

“Jimmy,” MR Joe clarified.

Cocking an eyebrow, Earl pulled another cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket and lit it before he replied, “You’ll need a consult.” The severity of his tone had Clyde’s skin rising in goosebumps when he added, “In the dark zone, a’course.”

Not liking the sound of that, Clyde was opening his mouth to object but Mellie beat him to it. “Whatever we need to do, my brother needs us.”

Mellie was right, and Clyde decided to defer to her judgment. “Just tell us what we need to do.”

He felt Rey lace her fingers through his on his right side before squeezing. Her voice was firm when she reiterated, “We’ll do what needs doin’.” She was looking over at the siblings, finishing with “together.”

MR Joe groaned irritatedly as the side of Earl’s mouth tilted up placatingly. Everyone converged to follow Earl deeper into the cave. Down and down they went till the light was all but sucked from the room. The air was wet and heavy, making it a mite uncomfortable to breathe. Mellie, seemingly unaffected by the events unfolding, was striding ahead with unparalleled self-assurance. 

Rey was holding fast to Clyde’s hand on the descent, and he was using her as his guide into the ensuing darkness, hoping he provided some form of support for her.

Finally, the ground was leveling out beneath them, but their sight was still severely limited. A few sputtered sparks from Earl’s lighter provided dull illumination, allowing them to see each others’ faces. Earl showed them a gaping hole only a few feet away. Rising from the pit were strategically placed cairns. Everyone was holding their breath as Earl leapt atop the nearest rock formation; he balanced expertly and began chanting in an unknown language.

The shadows of the dark zone rose up to billow around Earl before reaching out to swathe them all in interminab le darkness. Through the undulating waves of black on black, a vision was emerging. Jimmy appeared before them with his face twisted in anguish, screaming noiselessly into the void and body slamming against a translucent encasement in the vain attempt to escape. 

Beside Clyde, Mellie yelped before gripping his left arm in worry, nails digging into his sleeve and the flesh beneath. Rey’s hand clutched his painfully now as Clyde’s jaw tensed. Sweat beaded at his temples as he searched for any clues as to Jimmy’s whereabouts in the image, none to be detected. The MRs Bang, noti cing the trio’s reaction, requested Earl stop. He did without preamble.

The Happy Medium jumped back to join the group and carelessly lit another cigarette before he was waltzing back the way they came.

“Told ya t’ain’t no picnic,” Earl snarked. “Have a good time on Exegol, send a postcard.”

Clyde was biting into the side of his mouth, feeling harassed by Earl’s blasé dismissal. The coppery tang of his blood was only increasing his ire.

After another snide joke about Jimmy, Clyde didn’t even realize when he was tackling Earl to the ground, landing a few punches squarely in the Happy Medium’s face. It took all the MRs to pull Clyde off of Earl, who remained indifferent though sporting a split lip and swiftly swelling eye. Clyde was not dissuaded from attacking Earl again, so Mellie and Rey ran to place themselves between the two with their hands on Clyde’s heaving chest. 

All he knew was the feel of Rey’s palm on his cheek before the MRs tessered away.

Fueled by rage and fully conscious of the journey this time, Clyde was watching as the atoms around him shifted and reshaped reality. The process of deconstruction so aligned with his tumultuous anger that he hardly noticed when the world around him had materialized. Coming back into being, he was catapulted into an earthy gorge. He fell, rolling down a ravine littered with sharp rocks that tore at his clothes and skin.

He registered the external manifestation of his internal pain, his lifelong companion, before it all came to a sudden and jarring end in blackness.

**Author's Note:**

> The current chapter uses explicit and implied past continuous/past progressive tense, but the story is from Clyde’s point of view, and he is the narrator. The tense and style are specifically chosen for Clyde’s characterization and loosely based on the book prompt. Through him, all events, actions, and characters are distilled and interpreted; they are also often represented poorly or insensitively or entirely misinterpreted. Hence, Clyde is an unreliable narrator that does not fully comprehend his own efficacy, autonomy, and accountability.
> 
> Throughout the story, Clyde’s character will continue to transform, and therefore the tense and structure will change. Right now, the purpose of using past continuous tense with particular diction and syntax is to exhibit how Clyde feels no control over himself or his life, how he is an outsider to himself. As a reader, if you feel confusion, upset, and offense, that is my intention. I wrote it this way to put the reader inside Clyde’s head, seeing reality like he does and feeling what he feels.
> 
> I have chosen to characterize him as a still-waters-run-deep type of person, lacking communication skills. He does not voice or react in many of the ways an emotionally stable and healthy person would. He will be apathetic despite internalizing a plethora of negative emotions; he will be melodramatic about perceived injustices. He will be a self-defeating ableist struggling with PTSD and depression.
> 
> If I have written him correctly, you will not like him as much as you thought or hoped (at least, initially), and he will seem like a powder keg that is a danger to himself. The story’s central conflict has nothing to do with the plot; the central conflict is Clyde coming into himself and accepting who he is while developing a healthier relationship with his external world and becoming antifragile. My aim is to showcase his character development, and I hope to do so using the evolving tense and style.
> 
> That being said, if you feel uncomfortable at any time, I urge you to stop reading. Please curate your online experience; your health is always my first and foremost concern. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to discuss any questions or concerns.
> 
> **My Contacts**   
>  [Email ](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ClydeLovesBooks)   
>  [Twitter](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ClydeLovesBooks)   
>  [CuriousCat](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ClydeLovesBooks)
> 
> **My Other Fics**
> 
> [Sound Effect](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28849377) [E] - (complete) Rey and Rick have developed a deeply intimate relationship in which Rey consistently pushes him to his limits, and her own, while Rick shows her the greatest veneration through unfailing submission. When Rey seeks to show Rick how much she truly cares by breaking through the boundaries into the taboo with male urethral sounding, is he ready to give himself completely and commit fully? Is she?
> 
> [Cryptid](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28205688/chapters/69117063) [E] - (complete) Rey Niima, the senior FBI agent working the X-Files, is preparing to spend her Christmas on a snowy mountainside investigating a suspicious increase in supposed Bigfoot sightings. Although she has the Lone Gunmen by her side, she can’t help feeling lost without her now-disgraced partner, Agent Ben Solo. As a blizzard sets in, cutting their mountain haven off from the outside world, will Rey’s investigations bring her any closer to solving the mystery of the cryptid or confronting the way she feels about Ben?
> 
> [Heritage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712132) [E] - (complete) The good folks of Snoketon have no idea what’s going on inside their borders. Local cops need help and call on Agents Solo and Niima for answers. Agent Solo is excited to discover more about what secrets are lurking in the shadows of a seemingly idyllic community. Always the rational professional, Agent Niima is just focused on helping the victims and solving the mystery with cold, hard facts. The two may clash on the job but, in the bedroom, their partnership is an irrevocable bond forged in the fires of desire.
> 
> [I'll Be Your Pet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27307537) [E] - (complete) She’s been alive for centuries, enduring the endless monotony of an absurd universe when she smells him; the perfect prey, ripe and ready for her. Little does she know what she’s gotten herself into.


End file.
